Lara Baars

Started: She first tried Para athletics at age 16 at a talent identification scheme at the National Sports Centre Papendal in the Netherlands. She then joined the Nijmegen Atletiek club. (Athlete, 06 Nov 2019, 13 Jul 2017; atletiek.nl, 25 Oct 2019) Reason: She tried ballet, gymnastics, and handball in her youth before choosing to pursue Para athletics. "The sport is really fun. I like that I'm working every day to get the most out of myself, and meeting beautiful people from around the world." (Athlete, 06 Nov 2019; nederlandseloterij.nl, 11 Nov 2019) Additional Info: OTHER ACTIVITIES She has served as an ambassador for the Dutch State Lottery, which helps to fund Para sport in the Netherlands. In 2017 she appeared on three episodes of Dutch television show 'Arie & de Kleine Mensen' [Arie & the Little People] to talk about her life and sporting career. (Instagram profile, 24 Feb 2021; nederlandseloterij.nl, 11 Nov 2019; net5.nl, 01 Nov 2017; Twitter profile, 11 Oct 2017) OCCUPATION She has worked part-time as a communications officer at the Dutch Olympic Committee*Dutch Sports Federation [NOC*NSF], and has also worked at the Sports Medical Centre Papendal in the Netherlands. (LinkedIn profile, 01 Feb 2024; Facebook profile, 13 Dec 2022; nederlandseloterij.nl, 11 Nov 2019)